Slope failure on Khanh Le Pass claims six lives

A major landslide along the Khanh Le pass in central Vietnam buried a passenger bus late Sunday, resulting in six fatalities and 19 injuries. The 33-kilometre mountain road, known for its steep terrain and sharp curves, is highly susceptible to slope failures during prolonged rainfall. The landslide struck with little warning, crushing the front section of the bus and trapping several passengers inside.

Rescue efforts were severely hindered as heavy rain triggered additional slope failures on both sides of the pass, blocking access routes. Emergency teams reached the bus only after midnight due to unstable ground conditions and continuous debris movement. Two victims remained trapped under the collapsed material, illustrating the difficulty of extraction on saturated, unstable slopes.

Central Vietnam continues to endure intense rainfall following Typhoon Kalmaegi, with forecasts predicting up to 60 centimetres in some areas and isolated totals exceeding 85 centimetres. These conditions have caused flooding and additional landslides in Hue and surrounding regions, blocking major transportation corridors and isolating villages. With nearly half of Vietnam’s population living in high-risk flood and landslide zones, escalating rainfall linked to a warming climate underscores the need for adaptive geotechnical hazard management.

Video (in Vietnamese language) of the scene of the landslide at Khanh Le pass that hit a passenger bus, killing 6 people can be found below.